This time of the year we tend to be reminded of the need to be thankful for what we have in life. Over Thanksgiving dinner, we may have the tradition of discussing what we are thankful for, giving a prayer of thanks for life’s blessings at our turkey feast or holiday dinner, or making a special donation to church or charity as an expression of our thanks for what we have been given. While these are all great things, and God indeed wants us to develop an attitude of thankfulness and a habit of giving, something that I notice much more in people, and that has a much bigger impact on those around us is our attitude toward things we aren’t thankful for.
This past weekend, I served with friends from church by delivering boxes filled with ingredients for a 10-person thanksgiving turkey dinner to low-income families. It was an awesome experience, but we encountered some logistical challenges along the way, including not having a complete list of apartment numbers for the families, language barrier, and having to wait around for two hours from the time we were asked to arrive to the time the boxes were delivered to our meeting spot. As we grabbed a bite to eat afterward we were recapping the day and I found myself and others in the group critiquing the event and what the organizers should have done differently. As I found myself thinking these thoughts and ‘venting’ about spending two hours on a Saturday morning waiting around, I realized that those two hours had not been wasted, as I got to catch up with some dear friends who I had not been able to connect with in too long, as well as meet some new people in my church community. Maybe God planned my day that way so I’d have the chance to connect with these people, and I should be thankful for that time, even though it meant I’d be up late that night finishing up some work I needed to get done that weekend. God had simply rearranged my day so it flowed the way he intended, though not the way I had expected, planned, or envisioned. And despite the challenges, what an awesome honor to have the time and resources to serve God and point others to Him!
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul instructs, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world”… this becomes harder the more stressful and trial-filled our lives are. But at some point it becomes easier. Trials present hidden opportunities for learning and change, and we come to recognize this. James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). Doing everything without complaining or arguing, and having joy when we face a difficult situation, not only makes us more like Christ, but makes a bold statement about the power of Jesus, because we cannot do these things by our own strength alone.
So, in addition to considering what we are thankful for this Thanksgiving… how about considering how we can change our attitude toward what we aren’t thankful for??
